Combined skill and chance game device



March 16, 1965 H. B. DARCY COMBINED SKILL AND CHANGE GAME DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 29, 1961 Harris 8; Darcy 1N VEN TOR. 4705:. BY @000 March 16, 1965 H. B. DARCY 3,173,690

COMBINED SKILL AND CHANCE GAME DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 5

I 83 74 7 a 1 73 j) 94 76 a2 60 as as 68 a;

Harris 5. Darcy 67 IN VEN TOR.

BY @Maox fim United States Patent ime 3,173,690 CGMBINED SKILL AND (CHANCE GAME BEVICE Harris B. Darcy, San Angelo, Tex, assignor, by mesnc assignments, to H. P. Darcy, Houston, Tex. Filed Sept. 29, I961, Ser. No. 341,781 Claims. (ill. 2.73-97) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in game apparatus, and in particular the invention concerns itself with a game device of the type utilizing a projectable body which is tethered to a handle and, upon projection, may be caught and held by the handle it the latter is skillfully manipulated. As such, the device is a game of skill, but the principal object of the invention is to substantially enhance the utility, versatility, novelty and enjoyment of the device by combining the game of skill with a game of chance.

An important feature of the invention therefore resides in the provision of a combined skill and chance game device, while another important feature resides in an arrangement of the device so that the game of chance coon ponent is properly operable only after the game of skill component has been properly dealt with, as by catching said means comprising holding the projected body by the handle.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like char actors of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 3-4 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a die which may be used in the device of FIGURES 1 and 2 in place of the chance controlled ball;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of the invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a wiring diagram of the electrical con ponents used in the device of FIGURE 5.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularly to FIGURES l4 inclusive, the game device in accordance with the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral lit and embodies in its construction a substantially cylindrical body 11 which is tethered by an elongated flexible element such as a cord 12 to a handle 13.

One end of the cord 12 is provided with a loop 14 for connection to the hand grip portion 15 of the handle l3, and one end portion of the hand grip i5 is erdarged to provide .a circular head 16 on which is mounted a discshaped platform 17 by means of suitable screws 18. Abutting faces of the head 16 and platform 1'7 are recessed as indicated at 19 so as to accommodate a permanent horseshoe magnet 2 the latter being secured to the head to by a screw 21 and having its poles 22 disposed in and projecting slightly from openings 23 which are provided in the platform 17 in communication with the recess 19, as will be clearly apparent.

The body 11 consists of a lower or base portion 24 and an upper, inverted cup-shaped portion 25 which has its lower edge seated in an annular step 25 at the upper end of the base portion 24, the two portions 24, 25 being held assembled by a bolt 27, as will be hereinafter explained. The upper portion 25 provides therein a closed chamber 28 and is formed from transparent material so that the interior of the chamber is visible. The belt 27 pass-es axially through the chamber 28 and its upper end portion "ice projects outwardly through an opening 29 at the top of the chamber, While the head 30 at the lower end of the bolt is seated in a recess 31 of a disc-like member 32. The latter, in turn, is seated in a counterbore 33 formed at the lower end of the body portion 24. The cord 12 is connected to an eye collar 34 which is screw-threaded on the upper end of the bolt 27 and a pair of screw-threaded washers 35 are also positioned on the bolt, above and below the top wall of the body portion 25, as shown. A removable disc 36 is positioned on the bolt 27 at the bottom of the chamber 28 and is provided in its upper surface with a plurality of concavities or pockets 37 to receive a chance controlled element in the form of a ball 33 which is movably disposed in the chamber 28. A set of screw-threaded spacers 39 are positioned on the bolt 27 between the disc 36 and the top wall of the body portion 25' to retain the disc in place.

The aforementioned member 32 is formed from magnetically attractable metal, preferably soft iron, so that when the device is in use and the body It is projected or thrown in the air, by a skillful manipulation of the handle 13 it may be caught and held on the platform 17 of the handle by attraction of the member 32 by the magnet 20. During projection of the body 11 the ball 38 will move about in the chamber 28 and if the user is successful in catching the body by the handle as above outlined, the ball 38 will drop into one or another of the pockets 37 when the device is held in an upright position with the handle 13 supporting the body 11. The pockets 37 may be mare-d with indicia allocating different numbers or values to the difierent pockets for purposes of keeping score. In this manner, a game of chance is involved in the use of the device, along with a game of skill in catching the tethered body with the handle. In the event that a player fails to perform the feat of skill involved in catching the body with the handle, he is barred from increasing his score by the game of chance, since unless the body is caught and held upright by the handle, the ball 38 either will not fall into one of the pockets 37 or, if so, no score is counted and the device is passed to the next playcrs hands.

If desired, the ball 38 may be replaced by a suitably marked die 4% shown in FIGURE 4, in which event the disc 36 is removed from the chamber 28 so that the die may land on one of its sides on the flat upper surface ll of the body portion 24, the surface 4-1 then constituting the bottom of the chamber 28 and a playing surface for the die.

The moddfied embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 and designated generally by the numeral 5t} comprises the body 51 tethered by a flexible element 52 to the handle 53. The handle 53 includes a hollow hand grip 54 which provides a compartment for dry cell batteries 55, the latter being removable from the compartment upon removal of a screw-threaded cap 56 at one end of the hand grip. The other end of the hand grip 54 has screw-tlu'eadedly connected thereto an enlarged head 57 which, in turn, carries the platform 53 accommodating the permanent magnet The platform 58 is secured to the head 57 by suitable screws 6!) and the platform and the head are recessed to accommodate a not or into which is screw-threaded a screw loop 62, projecting laterally from one side of the platform. The flexible element 52 in this instance is in the form of an insulated wire which has one end portion thereof provided with an eyelet 63, the latter being attached to the loop 62,. The end of the wire 52 is connected by a suitable connector st to a conductor which passes through the screw loop 62 and through a passage 66 in the head 57 to one pole of the battery 55 in the hand grip 54. A bus bar 67 extends from the other pole of the battery in the hand grip and has connected thereto a conductor 68 which, after passing through the passage 66, is connected to the magnet 59 by a suitable screw 69.

The body 51 consists of a hollow lower portion 7tl and a hollow, transparent upper portion 71 with a transverse partition 72 separating the same, all the components 7%, 71, 72 preferably being of insulating material. A metallic face plate 73 is provided on top of the partition 72 and is formed with a plurality of openings 74 with depressed edge portions projecting into recesses or pockets 75 formed in the partition 72. The bottom of each pocket 75 in the partition is provided with a contact element 76 which is normally spaced and electrically iso lated from the metallic plate 73. ball 77 is freely movable in the chamber 78 defined by the body portion 71 and when this ball falls into one of the openings 74 and associated one of the pockets 75, it electrically bridges the associated contact element 76 to-the plate 73, as will be readily understood. Thus, chance controlled electric switch means are provided by the several pockets for energization of one of a group of indicating lamps 79, as will be hereinafter described.

The components of the body 71 are held assembled by means including a screw 80 which extends through the bottom of the body portion 70 and has its head 81 countersunk in a disc-shaped metallic contact member 82 at the bottom of the body portion 76, as shown. An

. externally screw-threaded tube 83 passes centrally through the partition 72 and is connected to the screw 8%) by a metallic yoke 84, a nut 85 being provided on the tube 83 atop the plate 73 to retain the plate and the partition '72 in place. The upper end portion of the tube 83 is screwthreaded into the bottom of a cup 86 which carries the aforementioned indicator lamps 79 and which has a removable cover or top wall 87 formed with a screwthreaded opening to receive the screw loop 88, projecting outwardly through the top of the body portion 71. The adjacent end of the Wire 52 is equipped with an eyelet 8% for attachment to the screw loop 88 and is also connected by a connector 90 to a conductor 91 which passes through the screw loop 88 into the cup 86 and is connected in parallel to the several lamps '79, as shown in FIGURE 6. Conductors 92 extend from the lamps 79 through the tube 83 into the hollow body portion 70 where they are connected to the aforementioned switch contact elements 76. A separate switch contact element may be provided for each of the several lamps, or ifdesired, two diametrically opposite switch contacts may be connected together in parallel as shown at 93 so that either of the two diametrically opposite switch contacts may energize the same lamp when the ball 77 electrically bridges that particular contactto the plate '73. In any event, it is to be noted that the switch contact elements 76 are in series with the plate 73 and the lamps 79, and that the plate 73 is in circuit with the member 82 through the medium of the nut 85, tube 83, yoke 84 and bolt 8d. A spacer sleeve 94 is interposed between the plate 73 and the cup 86 as shown; a

When this embodiment of the invention is placed in use, the body 51 is tossed in the air and by skillful manipulation of the handle 53 the player may catch the body so that it is held to and supported on the handle by attraction of the member 82 by the magnet 59. When this engagement occurs, an electric circuit will be established from the battery 55 through the conductor 68, through the magnet 59 and contact member 82 to the plate 73, but the circuit will be open as long as the ball 77 is still moving inside the chamber 78. However, the circuit will be closed as soon as the ball falls into one of the openings 74 and the associated one of the pockets 75, at which time the associated contact element 76 will be electrically bridged to the plate 73 and current will flow from the bridged contact through one of the conductors 92 to energize one of the lamps '79, whereupon the current will pass through the wire 52 and bus bar 67 to the battery.

However, a metallic The lamps 79 may be marked with indicia corresponding to different score values, the score thus being chance controlled by the switch means 74, 76, 77 which are operative only upon successful performance of a feat of skill involved in catching the tossed body with the handle so as to first establish circuit through the magnet 59 and contact member 532, as already explained.

Manifestly, this embodiment of the invention may be modified by replacing the indicator lamps 79 with electrically actuated sound producing or animated form devices for operational control by the switch'means 74, 76, 77, if so desired. Thus, while in the foregoing'there have been described and shown the preferred embodiments of the invention, various other modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A combined skill and'chance game device, comprising a projectable body having a base and including an upper portion provided with a closed chamber, said chamber having a transparent wall and a bottom provided with a plurality of pockets, a body motion-responsive chance controlled game element movably disposed in said chamber and receivable in said pockets, a magnetically attractable member provided at the base of said body, a handle, an elongated flexible element tethering said body to said handle, and a magnet provided on said handle, said member on said body being engageable with said magnet upon projection of the body and skillful manipulation of the handle whereby to hold the body and handle together.

2. A combined skill and chance game device, comprising a 'projectable body, ahandle, an elongated flexible element tethering said body to said handle, cooperating means provided on said handle and on said body for holding the same together in a predetermined relation upon projection of the body and skillful engagement of the handle therewith, a plurality of indicating means carried by the body, body motion-responsive chance controlled means carriedby the body for selecting one of said indicating means, and means rendering said selected indicating means operative in response to the placing of said body and selected indicating handle in said predetermined relation.

3. A skill game device, comprising a projectable body, a handle, a flexible electric conductor tethering said body to said handle, a contact member provided on the handle, said contact member and the handle end of said conductor being connected to the terminals of a source of electric current, a cooperating contact member provided on said body and electrically engageable with the first mentioned contact memberwhen the body and the handle are held together in a predetermined relation, and electrically actuated signal means carried by said body, said last mentioned means being connected in series with said cooperating contact member and the body end of said conductor whereby to be operative only when said contact members are in engagement. 7

'4. A combined skill and chance game device, comprising a projectable body, a handle, a flexible electric con ductor tethering said body to said handle, a contact member provided on the handle, said contact member and the handle end of said conductor being connected to the terminals of a source of electric current, a cooperating contact member provided on saidbody and electrically engageable with the first mentioned contact member when the body and the handle are held together in a predetermined relation, and electrically actuated signal means including a plurality of electrically actuated indicating devices carried by said body, said last mentioned means being connected in series with said cooperating contact member and the body end of said conductor whereby to be operative only when said contact, members are in engagement, and a body motion-responsive chance controlled switch means provided in said body for selecting one of said devices.

5. A combined skill and chance game device, comprising a projectable body, a handle, a flexible electric conductor tethering said body to said handle, a contact member provided on the handle, said contact member and the handle end of said conductor being connected to the terminals of a source of electric current, a cooperating contact member provided on said body and electrically engageable with the first mentioned contact member When the body and the handle are held together in a predetermined relation, and electrically actuated signal means including a plurality of electrically actuated indicating devices carried by said body, said last mentioned means being connected in series with said cooperating contact member and the body end of said conductor whereby to be operative only when said contact members are in engagement, said body being provided with a closed chamber, and said means comprising a body motion-responsive chance controlled switch means for selecting one of said devices, said switch means including a contact element movably disposed in said chamber.

6. The device as defined in claim 3 wherein one of said contact members comprises a magnet for attracting the other contact member and holding said body and said handle together.

7. A combined skill and chance game device, comprising a projectable body, a handle, an elongated flexible element tethering said body to said handle, cooperating means provided on said handle and on said body for holding the same together in a predetermined relation upon projection of the body and skillful engagement of the handle therewith, said body being provided with a chamber, said chamber containing a body motion responsive chance controlled means including an element movably disposed in said chamber for indicating any one of a plurality of predetermined choices subsequent to engagement of the body with the handle and means for determining which choice is indicated.

8. The device as defined in claim 7 wherein said determining means comprises at least a portion of the chamber formed so as to allow a viewing of the interior thereof.

9. A combined skill and chance game device, comprising a projectable body, a handle, an elongated flexible element tethering said body to said handle, cooperating means provided on said handle and on said body for holding the same together in a predetermined relation upon projection of the body and skillful engagement of the handle therewith, said body being provided with a closed chamber, said chamber containing a plurality of pockets, and an element movably disposed in said chamber and selectively receivable by chance in one of said pockets in response to motion of said body, and means for determining which pocket has received said element.

10. The device as defined in claim 9 wherein said determining means comprises at least a portion of the chamber formed so as to allow a viewing of the interior thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 858,666 7/07 Myer -96 X 1,228,575 6/17 Lynch. 2,024,034 12/35 Feitosa 273-97 2,166,115 7/ 39 Bergenn 273-97 2,625,396 1/53 Frechtmann 2731 FOREIGN PATENTS 101,527 9/16 Great Britain.

1,202,459 7/59 France.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

7. A COMBINED SKILL AND CHANCE GAME DEVICE, COMPRISING A PROJECTABLE BODY, A HANDLE, AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE ELEMENT TETHERING SAID BODY TO SAID HANDLE, COOPERATING MEANS PROVIDED ON SAID HANDLE AND ON SAID BODY FOR HOLDING THE SAME TOGETHER IN A PREDETERMINED RELATION UPON PROJECTION OF THE BODY AND SKILLFUL ENGAGEMENT OF THE HANDLE THEREWITH, SAID BODY BEING PROVIDED WITH A CHAM- 